Solstice
by Dinoval
Summary: It has been less than a year since the Incident. Foolishly abandoned after the War, man-made creatures of war named Kedamono move freely throughout the fractured world. (2 FF characters serve as minor characters, subject to change. Rated T for violence.)
1. Chapter 1: Beginning

_It's a lot easier to say when something ended rather than when it began. Most of us can recognize the end from a mile away, but the beginning always slips up on us, lulling us into thinking what we're living through is yet another moment, in yet another day_. ~ Steve Yarbrough (Safe from the Neighbors)

Solstice

Chapter 1: Beginning

A horrid sound similar to that of a chainsaw through metal rips from my throat. The sound draws the attention of two Black Moths to me.

I smile as the huge insects fly towards me, antennas buzzing angrily. Turning and running at the last second, I hear one crash into the sand where I was standing. "Too slow!" I jeer as I glance over my shoulder to find the other encroaching on me. I jump over a fallen Firlong. _I hope I didn't know him_, I think as I run harder, angry buzzing right behind me.

"You can't run forever!" the Black Moth yells at me.

I stop dead and turn with my fists poised.

The Black Moth slams headfirst into the claws protruding from my fists.

The momentum sends us hurling.

"And you can't be original," I growl in response.

We skid to a stop, sending sand flying.

I detach myself and wretch my hands from the corpse. Stepping back, I shake silvery-gray liquid from my hands. I analyze the four gashes in the Black Moth's head. "That's gonna' hurt," I mention sarcastically as I glance at the substance staining the sand gray.

A huge tail slams into my side, throwing me though the air again.

I tumble inelegantly across the sand and scrabble to my feet only to be crushed down again. I crane my neck to glare at my attacker and growl, "Sandstorm…! Don't you have someone better to pick a fight with?"

The dragon grins an evil, fanged, smile. "And who says I can't take out some fleas in my way?" Sandstorm laughs raspingly.

I smirk painfully. "Yes, because fleas are the only things you can kill," I jeer, but inwardly I'm fearing for my life. _A guild leader is a powerful foe, too powerful for just one normal _Kedamono_ to take on…_

Sandstorm huffs, "we'll see about that." He twists his foot into the ground.

I grit my teeth as I feel my skin shredded by jagged rocks. My lungs scream for air.

Sandstorm laughs sadistically as a pitiful wail escapes my mouth. He clenches his claws around me and lifts my limp injured body from the ground. "I'll admit, Solstice, I've never seen any _Kedamono_ like you before," he rasps triumphantly over my coughing, "to bad we're on different sides, I would enjoy having you. Maybe I'll just take you as a trophy for this victorious day."

"You will never… take anything!" I proclaim shakily, "me or this island!" I raise both my trembling fists and slam my dagger-like claws into his sandstone skin with all my strength in one final gambit.

The twin pairs of deadly claws plunge into Sandstorm's skin only to snap off at the base like icicles.

I gasp in surprise and agony.

Sandstorm cringes before beginning to laugh cruelly, "well, that was eventful."

I stare at the short stubs of metal protruding from my wrists, shock beginning to slowly paralyze me. I'm hardly aware that Sandstorm has begun to stork me with his other foot.

"Is that all?" the sandstone dragon laughs, "all that talk and look what happened. Don't worry; I'll keep you as a pet…!"

I'm forcibly brought back to reality as something collides into Sandstorm and sends him crashing to the ground.

Sandstorm releases his grip on me and someone immediately runs in and gathers me into their arms.

I blink dazedly up at Duna.

Duna smiles sympathetically and continues running. "I've got you," she points out soothingly, "Dynal will take care of Sandstorm."

I tilt my head to catch a glimpse of Sandstorm fighting a winged dinosaur-like _Kedamono_. I close my eyes and hold my arms to my bleeding chest, the trauma of losing my claws rapidly sapping my energy.

Duna runs swiftly over the battlefield.

Within moments I hear Dynal shout, "Luminous, fall back!" and wince.


	2. Chapter 2: Expulsion

_Fate is strange, and our destinies can be shaped by very small decisions._ ~ Emily Rodda (The Golden Door)

Chapter 2: Expulsion

"This is all my fault…" I moan to myself. Alone in my quarters, I sit with my head drooped on the old empty chest that makes up most of the room's furniture. I glace up at the dusty mirror leaning against the wall.

Without my claws, the reflection looks like a greyscale photograph of a human, the only color being the faded wood of the trunk.

_How do I know what a human looks like?_ I wonder sadly, _I've never seen one… have I…?_ I try unsuccessfully to recall. _Why is my past a blur?_ I ask myself for the unnumbered time; this only pushing me deeper into the void of sadness. _I can't remember anything before Duna woke me up… I can't be a new _Kedamono_, I remember things, that shouldn't happen… besides, Synergy Crystals haven't been made since The Incident, right? So how could I be made?_

A knock on the heavy wooden door breaks me out of my stupor. "Solstice?" someone asks. It's Duna.

"Duna, come in," I permit and stand up.

The tailed _Kedamono_ steps in and shuts the door behind herself. She carries a basket and a folded towel.

I genuflect and look upon her sadly. "I'm sorry, if I only paid more attention-"

"Oh, shush," Duna cuts me off gently and gestures me to my feet, "Sandstorm made a run for you. Even if you did notice, you wouldn't have been able to react. If anything you should be proud you've been targeted by a guild leader."

I nod slowly.

"Look at you." She scowls. "Did you even go to the infirmary?"

I blink and realize the amount of silvery blood seeping from wounds covering my entire body. "… I guess I forgot…" I admit.

"Well, good thing I brought these." Duna raises the arm holding the towel and basket. "I had a feeling you'd forget."

The way Duna flicks an ear in distaste elicits a small smile from me.

She notes my tiny grin. "What?" Duna asks playfully, walking up to me and sitting on the floor next to me.

I sit down. "I like that you have cat ears," I mention bashfully as she starts using the towel to dab blood off.

Duna suddenly stops. The look of pure confusion on her face makes me recoil backwards in horror.

I bow my head. "I'm so sorry!" I apologize hurriedly, "it's one of them, I'm so sorry!" My body begins to shake in terror.

Duna inhales sharply and wraps her arms around me, ignoring the blood. "It's okay," she soothes quickly and pulls me into her, "it's fine, you just confused me, that's all. Hush, no one's hurt…"

My breath continues to come in short gasps, but I nod and try to relax. Duna's comforting helps and I eventually stop trembling. "I'm sorry…" I apologize one last time.

Duna holds me out to arm's length and smiles concernedly. "Are you better?"

I look up to her. "I think so…"

She smiles genuinely. "Good. You don't have to be so scared of remembering things, you know."

I glance back at the floor. _Duna and Dynal are the only ones who know of strange discovery of me unconscious and my even weirder amnesia. The rest of the Luminous guild thinks I just came from overseas and joined the guild. _"But… they aren't normal…" I moan and place my hands over my eyes, "where did I learn these… and where did I come from…?"

Duna places a comforting hand on my back. "I'm sure you will remember eventually," she consoles, "but now we need to get you cleaned up."

I drop my hands. "Why, what's the point?"

"Dynal requested to see you," Duna explains as she gently wipes blood from my back.

I kneel on the carpeted floor and expose my neck.

"Stand," Dynal commands.

I comply without objection.

"Solstice…" Dynal starts slowly and walks towards me, her weight leaving huge sauropod footprints in the carpet. "I need to talk with you about today."

I shift my legs uncomfortably, but hold my silence and her gaze.

The guild leader bends down to eyelevel. "The loss of Heremus is nothing to me," she confesses, "that is a battle we can fight again. I'm worried about you." She looks at the stumps remaining of my claws.

I begin to feel anxious. _I don't like where this is going… please don't say…_

"And I'd like you to stay away from future battles," Dynal finishes.

My eyes widen. _No!_ "Dynal, with all due respect!" I unthinkingly panic and break the courtesy silence, "please, I cannot just stay here! Fighting is the only thing I remember from my past! I'll go insane!"

Dynal sighs and stands to her full height, easily towering over me. "I knew you wouldn't listen. You will do as I say," she commands flatly, "I know you cannot remember much about your past, but that doesn't mean I'll let you get yourself killed. You _will_ stay here."

I stare unsightly at the floor. _No…_ "No… I can't…" I growl aloud unknowingly, "I… I won't!" My hands ball into fists and I scowl up at Dynal with a challenging glare. "You can't take any more from me!" I yell and stance, fury blinding my vision and thoughts.

Dynal narrows her eyes. "You dare challenge me? As your guild leader? After all I've done for you?" She lashes her tail. "Fool."

The last strand of heeding in me snaps. I snarl, "fine than!" and turn heel and flee from the room. I ignore the shouts from the rock golem Pyrites guarding the door and run down the hall. I continue to run until I find myself in the forest. Then I slow down to a jog.

The increasing darkness brings me back to my senses and I stop.

_It's a horrible idea to wander alone in the dark,_ the voice of reason rationalizes calmly, _especially right after a lost battle_. My blinding anger chooses to ignore the voice and I continue walking, a choice that forever will change my future and perhaps the fate of the world itself.


	3. Chapter 3: Capture

_Beginnings are sudden, but also insidious. They creep up on you sideways, they keep to the shadows, they lurk unrecognized. Then, later, they spring._ ~ Margaret Atwood (The Blind Assassin)

Chapter 3: Capture

For a long time the only sounds are of me breathing and partially decomposed leaves crunching under my feet. The dead silence in not abnormal, natural animals are almost nonexistent in this age, nearly all of them were killed during The War, only _Kedamono_ and a few straggly confederations of humans survive.

I instinctively prime when I sense I'm not alone.

A huge praying mantis slightly taller than me steps calmly out from behind a tree. Its scythed forearms reflect the moonlight as it smiles evilly.

_Mantis,_ the name jumps into my mind out of the impenetrable darkness like an audio recording made by someone unknown, _number 337_. _Hunts in swarms, will travel long distances in search of prey, attacks swiftly. Home island: Mercatus._ I gasp in vain for more information of my past, but the memory ends quicker then it began and plunges back into impenetrable darkness.

"Who do we have here?" the Mantis asks creepily, his huge yellow eyes scanning hungrily over me, "isn't it dangerous to be out here on your own?"

"I can manage," I growl, raising my fists and wishing that I still had my claws.

The Mantis looks at my stubs and seems disappointed. "You're damaged. Too bad," he sighs, "well at least you are unique; that should fetch a good price."

_A good price?_ "What's your game?" I snarl.

The Mantis lunges at me, its scythes raised.

I easily dodge out of the way and spin to face it again.

Without warning several pairs of arms connect themselves around my body and yank me backward onto something living.

I struggle unsuccessfully against the arms and glare up at another Mantis that pins me to its chest. _If I only had my claws…_

More Mantises step out from the shadows and climb down from trees. All of them look at me like a piece of meat and step closer.

I narrow my eyes and continue to resist.

The Mantis restraining me pushes my chin up with the dull side of one arm-scythe. "What exactly are you?" he inquires slyly.

"And why should I tell you?" I counter defiantly.

The Mantis shakes his head in annoyance. He looks at the others and asks, "well, I think we have enough for one night. Shall we be off?"

The other Mantises nod and the entire swarm starts walking causally.

I give up my fight and surrender to the Mantis carrying me. I note that he holds me high enough that my feet don't drag. "Where are you taking me?" I demand, "if you think I'm just going to comply willingly, you're horribly wrong."

One of Mantises looks at me. "Oh really? What if we tortured it out of you?"

"I'd rather die," I growl.

He huffs, "what number are you then?"

"349," I lie.

349 is Duna's number, I don't recall my own.

"Hm, you're not much newer then us," he contemplates and looks away.

The swarm steps out of the trees and reveals a cove.

A sturdy wooden boat bobs gently in the waves.

A different Mantis turns to me. "Well, this is where we leave you," he says matter-of-factly, "but I'm sure we will meet again soon."

"Wha-" I'm cut off when a cloth is pressed over my mouth. I flail uselessly as my surroundings obscure into solid black.

My return to consciousness is slow and at first everything feels like a kaleidoscope of senseless colors and sounds.

Once everything stops spinning, I realize I'm in a small dimly lit room lying on the floor and bound by ropes like an insect in a spider web. _Why did they use so much rope?_ I sneeze and dust flies everywhere. _Where am I?_ I slink like a worm over to one of the more splintered of the wooden plank walls and press my face against a gap. What I see alarms me.

The small room I'm in is part of a bigger room. Several _Kedamono_ lie bound on the dirt floor and others are in similar cages to mine. My containment is by far the largest one in the room. I can just barely see a raised platform on the far side of the room. From my position I cannot see above the platform, but light and a faint breeze tell me that is open to the outside.

I return my gaze to the battered _Kedamono_ on the floor. Most of them are only semi-conscious and organized by number, making the room resemble some sort of demonic supermarket.

Several Firlong look to have been thrown carelessly into a heap, like a pile of tattered larger-than-life weasel puppets.

_Mercatus. The Mantises brought me to Mercatus._ My memory jolts for a moment before once again leaving me in confusion and darkness. _Mercatus, the island of the black market._ I shudder involuntarily.

Outside, sounds of a normal market are mixed with sounds of torture. An auction is being held nearby.

"Sold!" the auctioneer shouts happily, "to Luka for that lovely Synergy Crystal! Thank you all for coming, better luck next time!"

A few angry shouts follow and quickly silenced by a deep growl.

_Luka?_ I wonder, _that's a human name. What is a human doing here on Mercatus? Especially with a Synergy Crystal, a_ nonviolent Kedamono _would kill for one._

"Would you like to see our other wares, Luka?" the auctioneer asks kindly.

"That would be kind of you, Mantis," a male replies in a deep, velvety voice that is strangely seductive, yet something makes me tense up in antagonism.

_Have I heard that voice before?_ I shake my head. _… No… it's just coincidental, but maybe something similar._

A Mantis jumps off the platform and into the room.

A male human jumps in after it. The man has impossibly strait long white that flows down after him before settling low enough to brush against his lower legs. He wears heavy black armor that casts no glare in the sunlight.

The _Kedamono_ in the room hardly react. Some cast a weary curious glance at the human. Clearly most of them have been here long than advantageous and have given up hope of escape.

I watch keenly as the Mantis leads the human around the room, occasionally making comments on a _Kedamono's_ condition or a price reduction.

The human seems politely interested but otherwise bored rigid. He catches my gaze and for a brief moment something changes in his reserved eyes and he appears almost scared, but the moment passes and he returns to the ridged manner he had before. Ignoring the Mantis' sales pitch, the human walks up to my containment and studies me through a gap in the door.

I unflinchingly meet his gaze.

"Oh!" the Mantis exclaims cheerily, joining the human and leaning on the door, "this our newest shipment, a unique _Kedamono_, number 349. … Of course, since she _is_ unique and in near _perfect_ condition, the demand's incredible and she's valued quite high… but I'm sure I could work something out for you, Luka…!"

"Number 349, you say?" Luka wordlessly stares hard into my eyes for a long time before turning to the Mantis and smiling causally. "I do happen to have another Synergy Crystal with me."

The Mantis' eyes light up. "Why, I do believe we can work something out! Would you like to have her packed up?"

Luka gazes back at me with all traces of hostility gone and replaced with sadistic pleasure. "Yes, but be careful, I want her in one piece when I get home." He turns around and promptly heads for the platform, his hair streaming out behind him.

"I never knew you were a collector," the Mantis confesses cheerily and prances after him.

"Well, all collectors begin with one," Luka states and uses his right arm to value over the platform.

"True, true," the Mantis replies and follows him.

I slip and crash unsupported to the floor. I sigh and lie there. _Has this really become what I am? Just an item?_ Dynal's words come back to me. _Without my claws… maybe it is fitting…_ I curl up feebly. _… that I am… just an item…_

Someone breaks open door of my containment and hauls me off the floor by the ropes on my back.

I breathe normally when the cloth is pressed to my face and black out immediately.


	4. Chapter 4: Awakening to a New Life

_It's a lot easier to say when something ended rather than when it began. Most of us can recognize the end from a mile away, but the beginning always slips up on us, lulling us into thinking what we're living through is yet another moment, in yet another day._ ~ Steve Yarbrough (Safe from the Neighbors)

Chapter 4: Awakening to a New Life

Crazy hallucinations would be an understatement. I could swear I woke up in a bed. _Who in their right mind would give a slave a bed?_ I snarl and bide my time for this delirium to pass by staring at the flat stone ceiling. _I didn't even have a bed on Amicus._ After a few minutes I lift my head and look around the room.

The room is fair-sized and simplistic in décor. The bed's headboard is centered on one of the walls with a small table to my left. A heavy wooden chest is on my right. There is a larger square table wedged in the far left corner with two basic chairs tucked neatly under it.

My eyes quickly find the door set in the left wall on the other side of the room. I sit up and throw the blanket off of me. I don't question my unexplained knowledge telling me not to leave the room. Curiosity winning over, I stand up and step into the center of the room.

Despite the solid stone walls and no obvious light source, the room is comfortably bright. The lack of shadows almost hurts my eyes after living all my conscious life in a deciduous forest.

I silently pace around the room, slowly drawn to the door only to take another lap. I eventually drop into a cross-legged position in front of the chest.

Two large leather belts are tethered around it, holding it closed, along with a huge ornate padlock.

I unclasp the belts and move to cut the lock. A wave of painful remembrance washes over me as I gaze miserably at the stubs left of my claws. I let the lock drop with a heavy knock. I hear the knob turn on the door but don't react. _Let them do what they want; I'm already dead inside…_

"I see you are awake," a deep velvety voice comments gently.

I turn my head just enough to see Luka in my peripheral vision. "You have some nerve to walk among _Kedamono_, human," I snarl half-heartedly.

"That's no way to talk to the one who saved you from that slave market," he mentions casually as he approaches me.

A defensive growl rumbles in my throat when he sits down beside me. "Get away from me…" I command raggedly, almost petrified in place.

Luka reaches for the lock and rubs his thumb across the surface. "This is a very intricate lock," he comments coolly, expertly ignoring my growl, "a famous locksmith made it before he was killed in The Incident." He sighs. "But alas, it is only too simple for me." Luka lowers his hand and the lock opens after a series of complex clicks.

I'm unaware that my growl trails off. _It was definably locked when I pulled on it._

Luka smiles reservedly at my awe. "I am an outcast from all humans, they do not understand me. That is why I live here."

I blink and open my mouth to speak.

"Where are you, you wonder," Luka reads my thoughts, "you are on Kalumnia. This is my island. My castle. My guild." He looks away, as if ashamed by the fact.

"Guild?" I ask, all traces of hostility and defensiveness replaced by interest.

"Yes." Luka turns back to me. "Perhaps I should show you around after we take care of this…"

I flinch as he places his hands on top of mine.

The human closes his eyes and sighs tiredly. Luka reopens his eyes and seems sedated. A small smile tugs his lips. "There." He removes his hands.

I gawk in awe.

My claws, in full deadly beauty, are completely intact.

"H-how…?" I stutter.

Luka reaches for me and caresses my chin. "Do not question how. What is important is you now are fully alive, correct?"

I'm in too much astonishment for his touch to repel me. "… Yes…" I stare at my claws. They seem completely untouched. I rip my gaze away and eye Luka though a different light. With a decided "hmph", I relax my shoulders and lift my head. After a few silent moments I withdraw my sign of servitude and look directly at Luka.


End file.
